REBEL WITH A CAUSE: ISHIHARA SHINTARŌ, A CASE STUDY OF A JAPANESE NATIONALIST

Abstract

This paper explores the formation of national identity through selected works of Ishihara Shintarō, a politician and writer. Ishihara's narrative of identity, as seen in his works, reflects the Japanese nation's quest for a clear and unbroken narrative of identity. As both a disseminator and consumer of nationalist ideology, Ishihara reflects the theoretical, historical, and cultural bases of Japanese nationalism. By situating Ishihara's conception of national identity within the broader contexts of nationalism in general and Japanese nationalism in particular, the reader will come to see how Ishihara actively reinterprets and reaffirms Japanese traditions and myths and will gain a fuller appreciation of the reactive nature of national identity formation.